Minnesota Breathalyzer Calibration Errors Put DWI Cases in Doubt
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has ordered law enforcement agencies to verify the accuracy of their breathalyzer instruments due to calibration errors.
This issue was first identified in Aitkin County by defense attorney Chuck Ramsay, who found that an officer had not properly calibrated a DataMaster machine, despite documentation indicating otherwise.
As a result, several DWI cases were dismissed, and 73 breath tests were invalidated, rendering hundreds of DWI breath tests inadmissible in court.
The discovery led to the dismissal of several DWI cases and the invalidation of 73 breath tests.
Author's summary: Calibration errors affect DWI cases statewide.